


Defying Gravity (reprise)

by wickedlygelphie



Category: Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedlygelphie/pseuds/wickedlygelphie
Summary: Glinda and Elphaba reunite for the first time since the supposed melting of the Wicked Witch of the West. As Glinda finally comes to realise Elphaba’s presence isn’t just one of her usual hallucinations, the meeting ends up much different than what Elphaba first expected.
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland, Elphaba Thropp/Glinda Upland
Kudos: 65





	Defying Gravity (reprise)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoy this short story. It might be a bit messy because I’ve been writing this late at night when I haven’t been able to sleep lmao so yeee I hope it doesn’t suck because I know my writing isn’t the best!
> 
> I hope you have a lovely day or night wherever you are in the world, and I will forever stand by the fact that Glinda and Elphaba should’ve been a couple in the musical because they deadass kiss in the book okay bye I’m very passionate about it lmao

Glinda cringed as she walked through the Emerald City. The sight of green upon green upon green made her feel sick. Couldn't Elphaba had been a different colour? Blue perhaps? No. Elphaba shouldn't be different. The Wizard should've built a different coloured city. That was the problem. That stupid, stupid Wizard. As Glinda reflected on the last few months, she couldn't help but realise that she finally got what she wanted. She was loved by quite literally everyone. She was popular and the people's shining light through tough times. But at what cost? She had lost the person she thought she'd marry. Hearing Elphaba tell her they had heard his voice for the last time... it was enough to send chills down her spine just thinking about that awful day. And Elphaba... her Elphie. There was nothing more Glinda would like to do than to clear Elphaba's name. God, she didn't even care if the people turned against her. She just wanted to try. But she had made a promise to the green girl in the pointy hat that she would attempt to do no such thing. She saw her grand home appear on the horizon and sped up a bit. She smiled and waved at the people who recognised her, she had grown accustomed to doing that unconsciously. Every now and again, she would see a hint of green in the corner of her eye that looked a bit lighter than the rest of this godforsaken city, and get her hopes up, only to have them brutally crushed when she focused her sight on what usually turned out to be a green headpiece or scarf. There really wasn't a lot of security surrounding her property. No sane soul in Oz would even consider the thought of coming after her. Everyone loved her, but as the grand door shut behind her and the nonexistent noise of an empty estate filled her ears with it's intrusive silence, she was also awfully alone.

Elphaba turned over for what felt like the millionth time that night. She had always had trouble sleeping, but the snores coming from beside her definitely didn't help. Neither did it help that her mind was on the verge of going supersonic. Thoughts she'd rather not think about where taking over. Something her mind wouldn't shut up about was something she had been ignoring for a long time. Beside her laid Fiyero. The only person in history that had ever wanted her. And sure, she had fallen hard for him back at Shiz, and finding out he liked her too was something she never thought was possible. But never would she have imagined that getting Fiyero would mean losing Glinda. Sure, the snores made the cold and damp room in Kiamo Ko feel more lived in, but inside there was a terribly large void that refused be filled no matter how many times she told herself she should be happy to even be alive. She shouldn't be alive. And most importantly, she shouldn't feel, especially not this way. She had insisted to everyone that she had no soul, so why did she feel so much? Fiyero had insisted Glinda couldn't know they were alive, and she hated him for it. There was nothing Elphaba cared less about than her own safety, and she was willing to give it up at any moment to just see Glinda one more time. To Glinda they were dead, and Elphaba couldn't live that way. She pushed herself up from the floor, her rather messy hair covering parts of her face. Instinctively grabbing her broom she rested on the windowsill and took a deep breath of the fresh that flooded through the open window. It was cold outside, but that wouldn't bother her. The light rain however, was a bigger problem. Though, she thought, constant pain was something she was used to at this point. She more or less threw herself out of the window, trusting the power of herself, the wind and her bewitched broom to carry her to the Emerald City. Thankfully for her the clouds were low, and it didn't take long to climb above them and avoid the rain, yet the burning sensation on her face was almost constant. Not long after she could see a familiar green glow somewhere beneath the clouds and the thought of going back to the place where her life had changed completely became increasingly frightening to her. Stopping mid-air to collect her thoughts to the best of her ability, she realised the stupidity of her idea. She hadn't slept in days, and hadn't even said goodbye to Fiyero. For all she knew, Glinda could be gone. She knew nothing, yet here she was, soaring above the clouds in a lousy attempt to see Glinda, who thought Elphaba was long gone.

"Damn it, you idiot." Elphaba told herself as she steadied her grip on the broom. What if she found Glinda, only for someone to find them together. They would hunt them both down and what would come next was something Elphaba would rather not like to begin to imagine. She was fighting her mind to turn around, to turn back to Kiamo Ko, but something inside her wouldn't let her. Without control of either the broom or herself she went crashing through the clouds, as rain started to dampen her dress. Thankfully, the fabric kept the water out well, and the only thing really hurting was her face.

The Emerald City looked beautiful from above, glowing emeralds everywhere. Had it not been for her history with the city, she could've seen herself living here. Her and Glinda had made a promise to each other when they first visited that they'd be back for good some day. She supposed today wasn't the best day to come back, but really there would never be a good day to come back. It didn't take long from Elphaba to find Glinda's house, as it stood out like the crown jewel in a fancy necklace. She could only hope Glinda would be there. Was she really about to sacrifice her own safety, but most importantly Glinda's safety in order to satisfy her needs? Of course nothing would happen if no one found her, but what would they do if they did? What would they do to Glinda? All of her good acts had ended up backfiring terribly, and there was a good chance this might end up doing the same thing. These thoughts filled her mind to the brim, and she had to fight back in order to have the concentration to even stay on her broom. Yet, she couldn't stop herself. Something inside her just wouldn't give up on Glinda this time.

Not before long she found herself at a fair distance above Glinda's palace, going around in circles trying to get a good understanding of the situation. It became apparent that though there weren't many guards around, she had basically no way to get in and she most definitely wouldn't be able to find Glinda in that ginormous building. Then again there was this one spell... It was almost as if a lightbulb had turned on in her head. She had only used it once before, to visit Nessarose. She had to stop in the air and search every square inch of her mind to remember the words.

She took a deep breath, "I hope this works" she sighed and began chanting. It was just as she remembered it, and it filled her with a bit of hope. Travelling using magic was something that could not be explained. Being transported through time, seeing the past and the future, but also the present through the eyes of a being bigger than she could ever be, it was impossible to describe how it felt and what one saw. She could feel her long, black hair let loose in the wind and before she knew it everything was quiet. Well, almost... As the storm inside her mind that ripped through space and time calmed, she could hear what sounded like the faintest of sobs. Elphaba tried to take in her surroundings, but the inky black nature of her whereabouts made it impossible, but what once again filled her with hope was the fabric her bony, green hands were fiddling with. She could make out a silk fabric, with sequence and glitter all over. There was almost no doubt she was in the right place. However, one thing made her even more sure, but it also broke every part of her soulless self. She recognised those sobs. She had heard them before. Once when Glinda was upset about Fiyero back at Shiz. Once when Elphaba had laid awake one night in their dorm room, contemplating wether or not she should let the blonde girl know of her insomnia. And once when Elphaba could hear her friend's sob through the trap door back at Kiamo Ko. That had been the most heartbroken she had ever heard those sobs sound, and it was a moment in time she would rather not think about. These sobs sounded an awful lot like those sobs, and she didn't know what to make of it. Through the heartache, Elphaba still couldn't help but smile, despite the apparent state of her friend. Glinda was actually here, in the flesh, just on the other side of a piece of wood. The selfish part of Elphaba was absolutely bursting with joy. The sudden feeling of happiness caught her off guard, and she had to stop an almost uncontrollable sob from escaping her lips. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. She was so caught up in the moment she failed to notice that the sobs had gone quiet, and that if she had been listening hard enough, she would've heard light footsteps inching closer towards her. Elphaba didn't even realise when the door of the wardrobe flew open, and a short, petite girl stood in front of her. It was first when the blonde flew backwards and onto the floor that she was ripped out of her thoughts.

"AH!" They both yelled in unison as Elphaba fell out of the cramped wardrobe on to the floor in front of the girl, broom still in hand.

"Sweet mother of Lurline's Oz!" The blonde let out as she crawled backwards on the floor, away from Elphaba.

"Glinda! Wait, it's- it's me! Elphaba!" The green girl managed to get out. The last thing she wanted was for Glinda to move further away from her. For what felt like forever they just stared at each other, Elphaba's dark and seemingly endless eyes locking with Glinda's blue sapphires for the first time in a lifetime. At least that's what it felt like.

"It's just me..." She reached out her hand but Glinda just made herself look even smaller, which Elphaba had thought impossible. After a gruelling minute of silence and heavy breathing, Glinda finally broke the silence.

"No. It can't be." She let out a sigh and noticeably became more relaxed.

"This has to be one of those weird dreams, but oh how I wish it wasn't." She let out and made a move to stand up.

"What- what are you talking about?" Elphaba was left dumbfounded, still on the floor. It was as if she could physically feel herself break. Glinda didn't believe she was actually here. After not receiving a response, and observing as Glinda left the cold floor to walk over to her vanity, she tried again.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I'm going to ignore you, Elphaba. This has happened to many times, and I'm not about to get my hopes up like I do every damn time." She responded. Elphaba couldn't understand a word. The green girl pushed herself off of the floor and slowly walked over to the vanity.

"Glinda, I'm here. It's not a dream. At least I hope it's not." She said as she crossed the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. She found herself behind Glinda, almost afraid to touch her. It was then she noticed Glinda desperately picking at and pinching her arm, leaving red marks all over. She really did think this was some sort of dream.

"You know, that's not going to work." Elphaba said.

"Shut up. It always does." Glinda said in response. Elphaba felt a strange feeling inside, almost as if her heart fell apart. She had finally made the effort to see Glinda, only for Glinda to think of her as nothing more than a dream. A ghost. She thought she had experienced true heartbreak for years, missing Glinda the way she did, but this was different. This was aching, blinding pain. She felt a strong sensation on her face, as her right hand let go of the broom, and made its' way up to Glinda's right shoulder.

"It won't." Elphaba finally let out. She could feel Glinda tense up at the feeling of her touch and she moved her hand away. Another few seconds of silence fell over them, before Glinda once again broke it.

"Elphie?" She let out, and Elphaba could hear her voice shaking. Glinda turned around and Elphaba had just enough time to move out of the way before Glinda quite literally came flying at her, saying her name over and over. The hug that followed was pure euphoria for both of them. Elphaba struggled to keep her balance as Glinda squeezed every last bit of air out of her. After a while Glinda let go ever so slightly, and simply rested her head against Elphaba's chest. Elphaba could feel Glinda's tears on her exposed skin, and though it hurt she couldn't care less.

"Is it actually you?" Glinda asked, still as close to Elphaba as she could possibly be.

"It is, my sweet." Elphaba said and rested her head on top of Glinda's.

"I don't want to believe it. Promise me you'll still be here when I let go." Glinda sobbed. Elphaba simply kissed the top of the small girls head, hoping Glinda would understand that was her promise. It seemed she had, because Glinda loosened her grip of Elphaba and slowly moved back to look at the green girl in front of her. Glinda's eyes studied Elphaba's face for a solid minute before she reached up and touched Elphaba's face lightly.

"You've been crying." Elphaba said, looking into Glinda's tired eyes.

"Why, so have you, Miss Elphaba." Glinda responded. Elphaba moved one hand up to her face and flinched as she came in contact with the burn marks running down her right cheek. The rain hadn't even touched her. She had been crying.

"Damn. Tears." Elphaba let out, followed by a light chuckle.

"You're- you're not... dead?" Glinda let out, having trouble saying the last word.

"Afraid not." Elphaba smiled, taking Glinda's hands in her own.

"Afraid not? Oh, Elphie! You mustn't say that! Have you any idea how much I have missed you?" Glinda asked, clearly overwhelmed by the emotions she was feeling.

"I have not. All I know is that the only thing I've felt for the past few years is nothing but pure regret and guilt. Oh, Glinda... I wanted to let you know. I wanted to let you know I was still alive, but Fiyero insisted I shouldn't. It would jeopardise your safety, and I would never want to do that. I'm so sorry, my sweet... for leaving you behind." Elphaba said, and rested her forehead against Glinda's.

"I just don’t understand how...” Glinda began, but Elphaba cut her off almost immediately.

“Kiamo Ko. The melting was all a trick of the eye. The castle is full of traps and places to hide, and I simply went through a trap door. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t have faked it, I was ready to accept that everything was my fault, and that every person throughout Oz would be better off if the wicked witch died, but Fiyero insisted I should fake it instead.”

“Oh, Elphie... Oz knows I have lost myself since you went away. I even started hallucinating and, god, I hope this isn’t one of those times...” Glinda had moved their foreheads apart and was crying more into Elphaba’s shoulder.

“So you-” she began through sniffles and sobs.

“Schh, calm down, Glinda.” Elphaba said and gently stroked the back of Glinda’s head in an effort to calm her down. More than anything Elphaba would like to break down there and then too, but her pride, and the feeling of having to stay strong for Glinda stopped her.

“I heard you sobbing from the other side of the trap door and please trust me when I say there was nothing more I wanted to do in that moment than just come back up and kiss you-” Elphaba stopped immediately, realising what she just had said. It had just come out. Maybe Glinda didn’t hear it. Judging by the expression that was now painted across Glinda’s face as she looked at the green girl, Elphaba guessed she had.

“Look, Glinda that just came out... what I meant was-” She tried to backtrack, but was cut off by the overwhelming feeling of soft pink lips on her own. For a moment Elphaba was blinded by surprise, and it took her a while to realise what was actually happening. Much to her disappointment Glinda moved back to catch her breath.

“I wanted to kiss you too.” The blonde blushes as she looks down at their connected hands.

“I’ve really missed you Elphie...” she continues after a while, looking up at Elphaba once again to meet her dark eyes.

“Please don’t leave me again.” She lets out and Elphaba can see Glinda’s eyes grow glossier by the second as tears threaten to fall.

“My sweet Glinda, I can’t stay. Oh! How I wish I could stay! But I can’t...” Elphaba said as she broke their eye contact. She suddenly felt ashamed for letting her selfish side take over when coming to see Glinda.

“It’s not safe for you, and I plan on leaving all of Oz behind as of tonight. I’m not going back to Fiyero, or Kiamo Ko, and-”

“Take me with you.” Glinda cut her off. Elphaba turned back to face the smaller girl standing in front of her, and felt girl’s warm hands tighten on her own, cold hands.

“Please?”

“They’ll wonder where you’ve gone.”

“I don’t care. I just know that I just got you Elphie, and I’m not ready to lose you again.” Glinda cried, and Elphaba lowered her face to connect their lips for a short moment and wiped away some of Glinda’s tears before speaking again.

“I would really like for you to come with me...” Elphaba admitted, and that was all Glinda needed to hear.

They walked over to the grand glass doors of Glinda’s room that lead to the balcony. Elphaba picked up her broom on the way, as Glinda unlocked the doors. They stepped out together, taking in the view for one final time. The city seemed to flow more brightly than usual, and Glinda hugged Elphaba’s right arm as the green girl took a deep breath. Glinda finally let go of Elphaba, and they both walked closer to the ledge of the balcony. Without saying a word, Elphaba threw herself off the balcony, and Glinda let out a surprised gasp as she felt her heart almost beating out of her chest. For a second she thought Elphaba had just left her again, and that this had all been one of those awful nightmares. Soon after Elphaba came floating up again, next to the balcony, seated on her broom. She reached out a hand to Glinda to help her get on.

“Come with me.” Elphaba said.

“Think of what we’ll do. Together.” The words echoed in Glinda’s mind as she took Elphaba’s hand in her own and got on behind Elphaba. Tightening her grip around the green girl’s waist, they soared off into the Western Sky.

“Elphie,” Glinda began as Elphaba turned around to face her.

“We’re defying gravity.” Glinda smiled, and was met by a wide grin from the person in front of her. Once again resting her head on Elphaba’s back, they soared higher than ever before, and left Oz behind for good.


End file.
